Mateable electrical connectors are used in a wide variety of applications in countless electrical or electronic environments. Usually, electrical connectors include dielectric housings mounting a plurality of electrical terminals or contacts. The size, shape, orientation and other parameters of the terminals often dictate the characteristics of the connectors. In some applications, it might be desirable to provide terminals which effect low insertion and withdrawal forces on the connectors during mating and unmating thereof. In other applications it might be desirable to provide a wiping action between the terminals to remove or prevent the buildup of contaminants thereon and to provide a better contact engagement. In still further applications, it might be desirable for the connectors to have some latitude or flexibility in the angular orientation of the connectors during mating and unmating thereof. In other words, some electrical connectors must be mated in a precise linear mating direction, and any variance from that mating action might cause damage to the terminals or other components of the connectors. It can be imagined that providing all of the desirable characteristics in a single electrical connector system can be difficult to design.
For instance, in the field of mobile or battery powered hand-held telephone systems, a mobile phone handset is inserted into and out of a cradle in a base unit. In essence, the handset comprises a terminal device, and the base unit is provided for recharging, data retrieval and other purposes. Along with recharging the batteries of the handset, the base unit may be coupled to other data handling apparatus so that the collected data within the handset can be electrically read by other devices. Heretofore, there have been as many as three separate connectors in a single mobile phone handset to couple the handset to respective connectors in its cradle in the base unit, such as one connector for data, one for power and one for the antenna. In order to reduce costs, it is desirable to incorporate all three of these connector functions into a single electrical connector.
Although the invention herein is applicable to a variety of connector applications in various environments, it can be understood that in mobile telephone applications, a user will not always insert and remove the handset in its cradle in the base unit by a precise linear action. In fact, most often, the handset will be abruptly positioned into its cradle at an angle. In such applications, some latitude must be allowed, affording angular mating. Low insertion and withdrawal forces on the mating electrical connectors of the handset and the base unit also is desirable. In addition, because of the open environment of most mobile telephone units, a wiping action between the terminals of the mating connectors is desirable to remove or prevent the buildup of contaminants on the contact portions of the terminals.
Heretofore, the terminals in the signal interface or data portion of the connectors of mobile telephone units have been either of the pin and socket type, a blade and socket type, or a flat surface engageable with a flexible contact arm. Mating pin and socket terminals, as well as mating blade and socket terminals, usually result in insertion and withdrawal forces which are greater than desired. In addition, pin and socket or blade and socket terminals do not provide the angular flexibility or latitude which would be desirable to permit a telephone handset to seat into its cradle in the base unit. Consequently, flat surface contacts often have been used for mating with or engaging flexible contact arms of terminals to provide a low insertion force and to allow for angular flexibility. However, such flat surface contacts do not provide a wiping action between the terminals, and good electrical connection often deteriorates with the buildup of contaminants on the contact portions of the terminals.
This invention is directed to solving the above problems in an electrical connector system which has low insertion and withdrawal forces, which provides angular flexibility or latitude in mating a pair of connectors, and the terminals of the connectors are provided with a significant wiping action.